South Korea freestyle skier Lee Seung-hoon. [Photo=AFP·Yonhap]
South Korea set a new Olympic milestone in freestyle skiing as Lee Seung-hoon (Korea National Sport University) advanced to the men’s halfpipe final, the first Korean to do so.
Lee qualified on Feb. 20 (Korean time) at Livigno Snow Park in Italy at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics. He scored 76.00 points and finished 10th, earning one of 12 final berths.
Halfpipe is judged on aerial tricks performed while riding up and down a semicylindrical course. In qualifying, athletes take two runs, with the higher score counting.
Lee posted his 76.00 on his first run, linking five tricks smoothly as the 13th skier to start. On his second run, he increased the difficulty but lost balance on the landing of his third jump, leaving his score unchanged.
Lee has shown promise internationally. He was runner-up at the 2021 junior world championships and won bronze at a World Cup event in Calgary, Canada, in February 2024 — South Korea’s first freestyle skiing World Cup medal.
He also won halfpipe gold at last year’s Harbin Asian Winter Games. The Olympic final is scheduled for 3:30 a.m. Feb. 21 at the same venue.
Lee qualified on Feb. 20 (Korean time) at Livigno Snow Park in Italy at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics. He scored 76.00 points and finished 10th, earning one of 12 final berths.
Halfpipe is judged on aerial tricks performed while riding up and down a semicylindrical course. In qualifying, athletes take two runs, with the higher score counting.
Lee posted his 76.00 on his first run, linking five tricks smoothly as the 13th skier to start. On his second run, he increased the difficulty but lost balance on the landing of his third jump, leaving his score unchanged.
Lee has shown promise internationally. He was runner-up at the 2021 junior world championships and won bronze at a World Cup event in Calgary, Canada, in February 2024 — South Korea’s first freestyle skiing World Cup medal.
He also won halfpipe gold at last year’s Harbin Asian Winter Games. The Olympic final is scheduled for 3:30 a.m. Feb. 21 at the same venue.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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